authentic stuff

This was the best part! My husband keeps trying to hide the apple butter so that no one else will eat it. He swears it's better than what we get here. Let me know if you hear of any TJ's stuff that you want to try.

I will, and I will try to score more apple butter for your husband if he becomes desperate.

This year has been good in some ways, not so much in others.

The good: Work is going really well. I like my school and my students. There was some upheaval that settled and settled in a good way. My speech team doubled in size (40!) and did incredibly well. We even made the paper: [link] I am also judging a lot of high school speech tournaments this year and next year it looks like I will be able to direct the spring play at the high school which I will be thrilled if that can happen.

I am still working with my charity club and having fun with those women. We produced Toy Story last March and I directed and played Rex. It was a ton of fun. We just started rehearsals for this year's show: Finding Nemo.

My friend and I started our Shakespeare summer camp this year. We got twice as many students as we had estimated and it went really really well. We plan on doing it again this year.

I wrote my 3rd play (for the above summer camp) and it is my first play to be published. It should come out this summer! I still can't believe that.

I've gotten physically healthier. I lost about 65 pounds through better food choices and am starting a workout plan this year.

Still single, but I have been dating more which is a good thing. I hope to do more of that this year.

The bad: my dad's health still isn't good. And, he is declining. Over Christmas, he told me his goodbyes. I think he's preparing himself to move on. I have not told my mom about this, however, as I worry about her more than I do my dad. Her stress levels are horrendous (some of which are caused by my dad, some of which are put on herself). They're both in their early to mid 70's and I see them getting old.

My cat was diagnosed with lung cancer last spring. He's not doing well now and I expect I won't have him much longer. And that's absolutely killing me. I love him more than I can even articulate and I can't imagine my life without him. I'm in tears right now just thinking about it. I've had him 11 years, and he's seen me through school, career change, boyfriends, my dad's strokes, and my own cancer. He's my little love.

I would say I ended the year in the plus column, but the bads are way up on the bad scale. And, I think 2012 is going to hold some losses that are going to wreck me. I will get through them because I have some great people in my life to help with that and I am forever grateful about that. Y'all are for sure part of that support system.

Could the people who have mailed their gifts and not heard anything here, please email me.

And could anyone who has not yet mailed also please email me. From my tally, we have 6 ungifted people.

Polgara, your packaged arrived last night. Thank you for the lovely ornament and the monkey! (Not a real monkey, people.) I tormented the cats with the monkey last night. We love it!

Yay! I love the magnetic animals, I got a couple for myself as well! (A monkey, a froggy and a white dog--they're on the fridge and let me know when Jack tries to jump to the top.) And I have no idea if you have any affinity for Disney-related things, but Disneyland had so many neat ornaments I couldn't resist the shiny.

lisah, the post office delivered all my vacation-held mail yesterday, including your package--yay January prezzies! I love the book and the socks, and the shell ornament is so adorable! I'm totally keeping my tree up for another week so it can hang there for awhile before being packaged away for a year. Thank you!

Paula! Yay!! So glad you liked it!!!

And I have no idea if you have any affinity for Disney-related things, but Disneyland had so many neat ornaments I couldn't resist the shiny.

I love it. It's so sparkly.

I just finished burning the 2011 calendar. Yes, it made me feel better. [link]

I have received an Amazon box that msbelle tells me is a collaborative effort.

Honestly, I feel bad that extra effort was made on my behalf. I would have happily waited for the original package to be re-posted, and even helped with the postage!

In any case, many thanks to the Consortium of Care.

In the box, I found a packet of bath bombs and the Neutrogena sesame oil I especially wanted. I scrimped by buying the CVS equivalent. Since I am horribly smell averse, that turned out to be a super-error.

Now, my itchy, itchy skin will be so much happier this winter.

There were also pink earbuds...a nice boon...given that I listen to audiobooks almost 24-7 and seem to be death to earplugs.

Lastly, someone remembered my love for intricate coloring and added a Dover coloring book with Indian designs.

Thank you all.